Expert: Irulan Serena - 8/2/2006

Question
Do you have any evidence that king minos realy existed if so contact me please.  

Answer
Hello James,

In Greek mythology, ‘Minos’ was a legendary king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. The Minoan civilization has been named after him. By his wife, Pasiphae, he was the father of Ariadne, Androgeus, Deucalion, Phaedra, Glaucus, Catreus and many others.

As to the historicity / veracity of the man himself, it is impossible to give a yes or no answer because there are no primary or secondary written sources [other than the oral myth which later became a written myth] which attest to his existence.   There is a theory that the word 'Minos' was not a personal name; it  was the Cretan word for "King" thus the people and the culture were called the Minoans and every consequent king of Crete became ‘Mino's.

Scholars have noted the similarity between the term 'Minos' and the 'names' of other ancient founder-kings, such as Menes of Egypt, Mannus of Germany, Manu of India.

If interested here are two links that will show you the ruins of the Palace of the Minos [Cretan King] at Knossos.


http://www.daedalus.gr/DAEI/THEME/Knossos.htm

http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Crete/Knossos.html


Regards,

Irulan